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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-25-2022, 10:50 AM
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I would be very interested in a monochrome version.
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
11-01-2021, 11:39 AM
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The Road Goes Ever On And On...
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-20-2019, 03:52 AM
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Lee Haze has just released an interesting video listing his 15 favourite lenses for his Pentax cameras (I believe he currently uses a K-70). He also asked viewers to list their favourite five, with the reasons for their choices.
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g28JodAdX8c?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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This is what I wrote in response:
1: FA 77 mm f1.8 Limited. If one does portraiture this lens is hard to beat. Like all the limited lenses it's an absolute jewel, and has beautiful rendering, as well as being sharper than a portrait lens ought to be
2: DA* 60-250 mm f4. This is a very versatile lens and works on my K-1 with some heavy vignetting in the corners but can, I understand be modified to work on full frame without this. I have had this lens some years now and unlike my DA* 300 and 16-50 lenses, has not suffered from failure of the autofocus motors.
3: DFA Macro 100 mm f2.8. This is my go-to macro lens. I also have the DFA 50 mm f2.8, a Pentax-A 50 mm f2.8 and the DA 35 mm f2.8 Macro Limited, and these are all very sharp lenses, but the 100 mm focal length is my favourite. For macro work, I normally use manual focus so hunting is not an issue. This lens is so good it really ought to be denominated a Limited.
4: DFA f3.5-5.6 28-105 mm ED DC WR. Quite a mouthful, but it's quite a lens too. This is my only new Pentax full-frame zoom lens, but I haven't found the need to buy any of the others. Like you, Lee, I prefer primes, but this zoom is light, sharp and focuses very closely. It belies the belief that kit lenses are no good.
5: FA 31 mm f1.8 Limited. This is a must have lens for APS-C and full frame Pentaxes. Though designed in the film era, it is still excellent. It may be beaten on sharpness (just) by the Sigma 35 mm Art, but its rendering is absolutely lovely. It is expensive, but it is worth every penny, in my opinion.
That's my list for now, but if Pentax ever do issue the long promised 24 mm (or even better, a 20 mm), that will become an instant favourite. In the meantime, I have recently acquired a Pentax-A 20 mm f2.8, but I have yet to use that in earnest. Honorable mentions go to the DA 16-85 mm f3.5-5.6, the FA 43 mm f1.9 Limited, and to a couple of Sigmas: the DC 8-16 mm f4.5 to 5.6 and the DC 17-70mm f2.8-4.
Apologies if similar threads have appeared in the past, but with the (slow) issue of new lenses, I thought it might be time to revisit this subject. What are your five favourite lenses (they don't have to be Pentax), and why? My definition of favourite would imply the most used lens. My own interests are mainly portraiture and flower photography, with some travel and landscape thrown in, which naturally colours my choice of lenses.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
05-14-2021, 10:46 PM
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I always consider brand bashing as a form of envy, or an attempt to overcome self-doubt about one's own choices. I happily use many camera brands, and I don't care what camera anyone else has (or what car they drive, etc, etc). I cannot understand zealotry of any sort, and particularly those who seem to want DSLRs to die out and for all cameras to be mirrorless. How does that profit them? The only brand of camera I won't use is Sony, not because the cameras are not good, but because I have issue with the company's business practices. But if people want to use them, that's fine by me. At the end of the day, one should use what gives them pleasure and let the results speak for themselves.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
05-13-2021, 10:46 PM
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Thank you Mike. The 77 mm was shot at f2.8; the 85 was wide open.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
05-13-2021, 06:04 AM
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Sorry, I should realise that not everyone understands the abbreviation. GAS = Gear Acquisition Syndrome, when one buys photographic gear based on want not on need. I have been guilty of that for many years now, and I shudder to think how many cameras and lenses I have bought and sold :)
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
05-12-2021, 11:54 PM
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Here's a couple of shots taken with the 77 and the 85 (in that order):
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
05-13-2021, 12:34 AM
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I don't earn money from photography either. Quite the opposite. I was a terminal GAS sufferer with all the consequent guilt issues. But I'm cured now: I still have GAS but I don't feel guilty any more!
Thank you for your kind words about my photos :)
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
05-12-2021, 11:35 PM
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I have both lenses now: I recently bought the silver version the 85 from Amazon for £1,299, which I thought was a heck of a bargain. I have also bought the D FA* 50 mm in anticipation of receiving my K-3 III (get a move on Ricoh!).
It is very hard to choose between the 85 and the 77, and I think it comes down to what "look" one prefers. The main difference I have noticed is the autofocus seems to be more accurate on the D FA* 85mm, as I have a greater percentage of keepers from it. It seems to find the irises more confidently. I'm hoping it will be even better with the new autofocus system in the K-3 III and any future K-1. It's huge, for sure, and I think I would prefer the 77 outside the studio, but I am getting on a bit now.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-03-2021, 12:37 AM
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I never said I didn't see a difference between EVFs and OVFs. I just find both acceptable, with advantages and disadvantages depending on the situation. In very low light, an EVF can be preferable. The opposite is true in bright sunshine. In between those extremes, I don't have a problem withy either means of viewing the image. For macro work, I usually use the rear LCD. It's horses for courses as far as I'm concerned.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-30-2021, 11:27 AM
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I have been reading with interest the comparison between the K-3 III and the Fujifilm X-T4. I was recently carried away by the Fuji hype and it is a great looking camera with all those dials to set stuff, just like we did in the 1960s. So, I bought an X-T3, which is basically an X-T4 without IBIS. I hated it! I realised that there is a reason why modern cameras are shaped the way they are. The ergonomics of a Pentax really are hard to beat. My Nikons come close, but Pentax has the edge in usability and fun factor. So when comparing a (not yet available) K-3 III with an X-T4, I would say: "there is no comparison" They are very different animals, and it is not just the viewfinder that separates them. I have sold the Fuji.
For the record, I have just been out in my garden taking photographs of flowers with my K-5 IIs. What a gem of a camera that is! I now regret leaving it lying fallow for years. And with the new super-resolution facility of Adobe Camera Raw (or Topaz Gigapixel, if you prefer), 16 Mpx is no longer a problem if one needs larger prints.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-01-2021, 03:35 AM
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What's the point of comparing the price of the K-3 III with Sony or any other mirrorless cameras? They don't have a pentaprism, so if one wants a DSLR, one doesn't buy Sony, Panasonic, Olympus or Fuji.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-30-2021, 10:59 PM
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Ordered my silver premium kit today!
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-30-2021, 11:32 AM
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-30-2021, 02:00 AM
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Though comparisons with the D500 are interesting, and valid in many ways, I bought my D500 nearly five years ago, and things have moved on since then. I am disappointed that the K-3 III uses SD cards, and only one UHS II at that. However, that is not a deal breaker for me as I have many SD cards of both persuasions, but I wonder what effect it will have on the buffering of high speed bursts (not something I use, but something that will be picked on by the so-called YouTube "influencers" who see flaws in Pentax cameras that they gloss over in other brands). For my type of photography all I really need is i) very accurate and fast autofocus and ii) great image quality. With my K-1 and K-3 so many shots are ruined by the camera focusing on something other that what I told it to, a problem I never had with my D500. To be honest, I have persevered with Pentax only because I love the brand, and I believe that are made by photographers by photographers. I have supported the brand by buying every camera new from the K-7 to the K-1, with an *ist D somewhere along the lines. I think I deserve autofocus that is up there with its peers. Give me that, Pentax, and I'm in for a Limited Edition K-3 III!
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-29-2021, 05:19 AM
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I shall be trying to get one, too
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-28-2021, 02:06 AM
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Out of curiosity, just how large do you print?
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-01-2020, 03:59 PM
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Pentax isn't a habit... it's a calling! :)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-26-2020, 04:16 AM
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Another rumour site suggested the new camera will be named the K-3 III. K-3s do not have flippy, tilty or any other *y screens, except fixed ones. Of course, I'm guessing, but I see nothing that suggests it will have any sort of movable screen. If it tethers well to a phone, at least there will be some sort of workaround. I wouldn't mind a tilting screen, but it is by no means essential for me.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
08-21-2020, 01:15 AM
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You need a reason??!! Wow, this is a new and alien concept for me. I will have to go away and have a good think to see if I can wrap my head around that ;)
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-05-2020, 12:15 AM
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Only yesterday I used this technique to take a photo of a castle when I couldn't physically get far enough back to get the whole edifice in frame. The 16-85 mm lens I was using on my K-3 II wasn't wide enough. As it was raining quite heavily, I didn't want to change lenses, and in any case I don't think my 8-16mm Sigma is weather sealed. Three quick shots, which I later stitched together in Photoshop, and the job was done.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-22-2020, 04:16 AM
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If the finish is like my silver K-3, it is very well done and a good match for the silver lenses. But, each to their own: there is no accounting for taste.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-22-2020, 03:36 AM
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The version I watched had English sub-titles.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-20-2020, 06:54 AM
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I'll be 74 in a couple of months, and I'm darn tooting that my K-1 and K-3 II won't be the last cameras for me!
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
05-14-2020, 11:06 PM
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My guess is f2.8. The front element looks about the same size as my Pentax-A 20mm f2.8. I could be wrong, of course, but we shouldn't have to wait too long to find out.
Edit: If I ever get out of this *%!^$$ lockdown, I'm in the market for this and the 85mm.
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